Update: The Billings doctors behind the internationally-renowned 3D printable protective face mask have a newly re-designed website. Oh, and just in case you were wondering about how much money they're making off of all the downloads of their product: "It's permanently free for anyone to produce."

Dr. Dusty Richardson and the Zauggs' new website is MakeTheMasks.com. Even better? They're calling it "The Montana Mask."

The Billings Gazette's Rob Rogers also featured a recent update noting how they are teaming up with area manufacturers to crank out production:

Billings-area fiber manufacturing business Flowmark/High Tech Filters has worked to create the reusable filters that fit into the front of the mask. Flowmark had ramped up production by the middle of last week and taken orders from all over the country.

Spark R&D will make its design open source, available to anyone who wants it. In terms of financial compensation for the company, Ritter said right now his company is simply concerned with making the masks and getting them out to those who need them as quickly as possible.

 

Check out this "fit test" video that they also posted:

 

Original Story from March 25, 2020

Not only can he fix your teeth, he's also helping to fix the shortage of protective masks facing our medical professionals in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.

We caught up with Dr. Spencer Zaugg on Tuesday's Montana Talks radio show. Dr. Zaugg is a dentist in Billings, Montana. His son Colton Zaugg is a microbiologist and a designer. The two became friends with Dr. Dusty Richardson, a Billings Clinic neurosurgeon (featured in the photo above).

As KTVQ-TV reports, Dr. Richardson was driving home from work on Thursday night when he came up with the idea to use a 3D printer to make new protective masks. He then turned to the Zauggs to put the idea into reality.

I actually first heard about this idea from friends in the remote Northeastern Montana town of Glasgow. They got a hold of the design plans, and were using 3D printers in town to print new masks for their local hospital. Other hospitals and medical professionals all over the world are now downloading the mask designs as well.

Dr. Zaugg told us he heard from one doctor as far away as Scotland. Not only that, they've now teamed up with a Billings manufacturer and have the ability to print 1,000 masks per hour.

Pretty remarkable. Check out our full conversation with Dr. Spencer Zaugg and Montana Talks host Aaron Flint below:

 

Dr. Dusty Richardson, Credit Spencer Zaugg
Dr. Dusty Richardson, Credit Dr. Spencer Zaugg
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